CTE programs in Volusia Schools help prepare students for college or the workforce

What started out as a random placement in a sixth-grade agriculture class has become a full-blown passion for seventh-grade student Alexander Anderson.

"When I initially was exposed to agriculture … I did not expect to learn so much about animals and how to grow plants," the Creekside Middle School student said. "But once I was exposed to it, I knew that it was something I didn't want to let go."

Anderson participates in one of more than 100 Career and Technical Education programs offered throughout the Volusia County School District. These programs offer pathways from high school to post-secondary education, including dual-enrollment, college credit and more than 45 industry certifications.

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February is CTE Month in Florida, recognized by Gov. Ron DeSantis to celebrate and highlight the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs in the state, according to the Florida Department of Education. More than 772,000 K-12 CTE students – the highest in Florida's history – participate statewide. Florida also boasts more than 338,000 postsecondary CTE students, and over 15,000 registered apprentices engaged in workforce education.

“Under Gov. DeSantis’ leadership and in partnership with entities across the state, we continue to make critical investments in CTE and apprenticeship programs,” said Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran in a press release. “And as a result, Florida’s employers are reporting that in just the last three years they are significantly more likely to fill vacancies with Florida-based talent, talent that increasingly does not require additional training.”

Essentially, these programs – which include, but aren't limited to, business, agriculture, robotics, the medical field, journalism, marketing and careers in STEM – prepare students for either college or the workforce, according to Bree Castelli, the district's Career and Technical Education coordinator.

"We focus on the career-ready part of it so they can either matriculate into a college or they can earn a certificate while they're in high school and then go straight into work," Castelli said. "If they can walk out of high school with these certifications, they can in some instances get jobs right away, but it also just gives them a leg up anywhere that they go."

And through the CTE programs, students have the opportunity to explore different fields so they can learn what they like and don't like.

For Anderson, his agriculture class has become like a second family. And while he's not completely sure what he wants to do in life yet, he knows that he wants to remain in the field.

"And now that I'm in advanced agriculture, I've learned that I want to pursue agriculture as a career," Anderson said. "So something that started as an accident last year turned into something that might change my life one day."

What do students get when enrolled in a CTE program?

Middle school: Learning the basics

At the middle school level, the classes are mostly introductory courses, designed to help students determine their interests while also earning valuable life experience, certifications and high school credit.

Some of the certifications include Adobe, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Microsoft Office, said Marianne Blair, Career and Technical Education specialist for Volusia County Schools, who oversees the business and arts programs.

"These are the same certifications that adults are striving for to be more marketable in the workplace," Blair said. "Because if you have that certification and someone else doesn't, it could make you more employable."

Eighth-grader Xavier Rivers signed up for Digital Information Technology at Creekside Middle School because it counts as a high school credit.

"I want to start my life quickly so I thought maybe it'd be a good start and now that I'm here, I'm happy I chose this," Rivers said.

The class is a prerequisite for many high school courses and the students not only receive high school credit, but become certified in HTML and CSS coding, according to teacher Jennifer Bennett.

Rivers dreams of a simple life as a small bakery owner in Canada. He plans to take culinary classes in high school, but said he needs to have the tools to become a strong business owner.

"It's good to have skills online and with technology," Rivers said.

Bennett said this class is an opportunity for the students to become certified for free.

"Back when I was in eighth grade, these opportunities didn't exist and to just see all the opportunities that are at their fingertips. These tests all cost money," Bennett said. "To just have things that are worthy of going on their resume at this age, it's kind of mind-boggling. I don't know if I could have taken that on as an eighth-grader, so it's really impressive what they do. They impress me every day."

Other classes, like Matthew Cindric's STEM class at Creekside Middle School, gives students the opportunity to explore a wide range of science, technology, engineering and mathematic interests.

"We try to do current events, 3D printing, CNC manufacturing, working on forensic science," Cindric said. "We're super close to the local airport, so we teach kids about air traffic control and actually the introduction to how to fly a plane or create a wing; learn about lift, drag and other forces on the airplane."

High school: Making video games

At the high school level, students can register for four-year programs that can help launch them into a career by the time they graduate.

And while some of the programs are designed to help students get a head start in college, others, such as construction, carpentry, culinary arts, air-conditioning, firefighting and an upcoming electricity program, are designed to help students get a job right out of high school.

"All students, they all have a different path in life and for students in Volusia County, there are careers you can start directly out of high school," Blair said. "That's important for them because sometimes college isn't suited for them. Some of the tests and entrance exams are just not what they're really skilled at."

For students interested in learning how to create their own video game, or even for those who just love to play in general, Paul Reed's Game and Simulation four-year CTE program at Mainland High School might be the right fit.

During their first year, Reed said they learn how to use the program, follow tutorials, learn the history of video games and learn how the computers work. By the end of the year students will have made their first simple game.

"It's a really fun and hands-on class," Reed said. "It's like a shop class because right now they're learning how to use the tools and then they'll build their own thing later."

Sophomore Sherman Edmond initially picked the class because he loves to play video games. His favorites include 2K and Call of Duty on Xbox and PlayStation.

"It's a good class and you get a certification," Edmond said.

This is junior Andres Martinez's first year in the Game and Simulation program; he has quickly grasped the concepts and plans to continue the program in his senior year.

"At first it was a filler class, but now it's something I want to do now," Martinez said. His other area of interest is photography.

His ultimate goal when it comes to Game and Simulation is to create an "extremely difficult" 2D game, like the classic Mario games.

"I would definitely recommend this class to most people that are interested in this kind of stuff," he said.

During the second year of the program, students focus on storytelling and build a role-playing game, much like Zelda, according to Reed. Third-year students create their own side scrolling platform and create all the elements of the game themselves.

On their fourth and final year, students create a 3D art animation game.

"They're just high-schoolers – they're just dipping their toes in," Reed said. "But they'll create their own character, walk animation cycle, and make their own 3D games."

Students in Reed's class are building a portfolio of work. They can put their final game out into the world and if somebody buys their game, they are considered a professional game designer, Reed said.

Students can go on to be a video game designer, create simulations, or do 3D animation for movies and TV shows.

"When you see somebody do something they thought they couldn't do going into it," Reed said, "that's probably the best part."

For students interested in the medical field, Mainland High offers a biomed CTE program. The first class in the program revolves around a crime scene; the second year focuses on the human body systems, then medical intervention their junior year.

Sophomore Jordyn Williams wants to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. Her older brother, who took the biomed program at Mainland, highly recommended it.

"I want to work in a hospital, you know, just help people," Williams said. "It's been something I've been wanting to do for a couple years."

Senior year, students are thrust into intense study to get their bio-technician assistant certification that will allow them to work in a lab right out of high school.

"The four years just kind of build and then they earn their basic certification," said Susana Mandell, ASIM Academy director and biomedical sciences teacher. "They could actually work in a lab facility while in college or I have one student who graduated last year, who is just full-time in a lab facility. He passed his base, he got certified and so he chose to do that and is loving it."

Senior Anylia Blue wants to be a surgeon. She is going to major in biology with a minor in either pharmacy or psychology, and then she'll attend medical school. So when she started high school, she signed up for the biomed program.

"We basically learned about everything that we need to like, get a footing in, a head start in the medical field," Blue said. "We go into the field ready to get to work and we get a certification at the end and we can immediately work in a lab. Like yes, because who doesn't want to make money when they go into college?"

Mandell has been teaching the CTE program for six years now and has been a biology teacher for 15 years.

"The kids love it, they're engaged because this is the path that they choose," Mandell said. "It's not just me doing the work. The kids have to do some research, do some hands-on activities, and so it's not just like a teaching to the test type of thing. It's very interactive, which I love."

Nikki Ross covers K-12 education, health and COVID-19 for the Daytona Beach News-Journal. She can be reached at nikki.ross@news-jrnl.com or follow her on Twitter @nikkiinreallife.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia students gain valuable skills for workforce in CTE programs